Protecting your teeth from things like bruxism (teeth grinding) or sports is a vital measure to take in order to prevent tooth injury and loss. At Saunders DDS, we can help you with custom night guards or athletic guards in order to fully protect your smile!
Why Are Mouth Guards Needed?
You may be considering mouth guards if you grind your teeth or play sports. Let’s look at each of these reasons and why you might need mouth guards for them.
Bruxism (teeth grinding). Perhaps your Asheville dentist, Dr. Saunders, has told you that you have evidence of teeth grinding, or maybe you’re aware that your grind your teeth whether while awake or asleep.
Teeth grinding is extremely damaging to teeth and gums. The force that your teeth exert while biting and chewing are meant for foods. Teeth-on-teeth grinding puts an excessive amount of pressure and force on your teeth and jaw, which can lead to inflammation in your gums, premature wearing down of your teeth, jaw aches, headaches, and fractured teeth.
Stopping teeth grinding is an important part of treating it. Custom night guards can help to prevent tooth damage and halt any existing damage. Over time, inflamed gums and fractured teeth from grinding could cost you your smile. A custom night guard could save your teeth!
Playing sports. Playing sports such as hockey, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, football, and even other recreational sports such as skiing, surfing, and weightlifting could be putting your smile at risk! Consider custom athletic mouth guards with us at Saunders DDS for you or your children if you play sports.
Sports present an opportunity for injury to your mouth that could lead to a knocked-out tooth, fractured teeth, and even a broken jaw. A mouth guard can help to absorb the impact that’s often experienced in these sports and protect your teeth.
If your kids play sports, they’re more at risk to experience tooth injury and problems as their adult teeth are still adjusting permanently in their mouths. If you or your children play sports, talk with Dr. Saunders at our Asheville family dentist about getting a custom athletic mouth guard.
What Advantages Does a Custom Mouth Guard Offer?
The cheaper and less effective alternative to custom mouth guards at your Asheville dental office is to go to the store and buy a pre-made mouth guard. These mouths guards don’t offer the same type of protection that a custom mouth guard will offer because it wasn’t made for your unique mouth and won’t offer total protection.
These standard mouth guards may be too big or too small for your child’s mouth and don’t account for the differences in everyone’s teeth. Therefore, the protection that it offers will be minimal. Spending the money on a quality custom mouth guard will offer a different level of protection, one that’s comprehensive and will be specially designed for you or your child.
Since standard athletic mouth guards aren’t designed for your mouth, your child could have trouble breathing properly due to the shape of the mouth guard or experience difficulty keeping it in his or her mouth. Standard athletic guards often aren’t comfortable and wear out quickly.
If you’re considering a custom mouth guard for bruxism, consider that custom night guards will be comfortable for your mouth and allow you to breathe easy. Custom night guards are safe, effective, and last for a long time.
What Can Happen to Teeth During Sports?
Sports injuries aren’t pretty and they’re even less so when they happen to your mouth! Just a few of the injuries that can happen to your mouth, teeth, and jaw during sports are:
- Fractured teeth. Fractured teeth can include broken or chipped teeth. Chipped teeth can lead to fractured teeth if not treated. If this happens, take all parts of the tooth and visit your dentist in Asheville NC as soon as possible.
- Knocked-out tooth. A knocked-out tooth needs emergency care. If possible, take the entire tooth including any fragments and roots to your dentist immediately!
- Dislocations. Also known as luxations, these teeth are either pulled down, pushed backwards or forwards, and their appearance is changed after the incident. Again, get to a dentist as soon as you’re able and do not attempt to move the tooth.
- Broken jaw. It’s possible that a broken jaw can happen during sports. Get to the emergency room or to your dentist office immediately!
You can help prevent injury and protect your mouth when playing sports and from teeth grinding with custom mouth guards. To learn more about custom mouth guards, schedule an appointment with us: 828-277-6060.